when did silver threepence cease to be legal tender
Manage Settings Threehalfpenceswere issued, and they had a rose, as didthreefarthings, to help distinguish them from pennies. Chard (1964) Ltd32-36 HarrowsideBlackpoolLancashireFY4 1RJSatNav Postcode: FY4 1LY, Company No: 01378220VAT No: GB 157 0712 74, King Stephen and Empress Matilda (1135 - 1154), King James I (Scotland 1567 - 1625) & (England 1603 - 1625), The Commonwealth of England (1649 - 1660), King James II of England & VII of Scotland (1685 - 1688), King William III (1688 - 1702) and Queen Mary II (1688 - 1694), The Coins of Queen Victoria - Young Head Portrait, The Coins of Queen Victoria - The Gothic Portrait, The Coins of Queen Victoria - The Jubilee Head Portrait, The Coins of Queen Victoria - The Old Head Portrait, Elizabeth II - The Sapphire Jubilee Crown, British Coin Denominations from Roman Times to Date, Common Names of British Coin Denominations, The Story of the Florin or Two Shilling Piece, Introducing the New 12 Sided One Pound Coin. Threepences of the fourth coinage (15781582) are identical except for having a slightly lower silver content. The obverse inscription reads GEORGIUS IIII D G BRITANNIAR REX F D, while the reverse shows a new-style crowned "3" and date, all within a wreath. It is no longer possible to exchange them for current coins at a bank. The final hammered coinage threepences were produced at the start of the reign of King Charles II. They feature a left-facing crowned bust of the king with plumes in front of his face and the numeral III behind him, with the legend CAROLUS DG MA B FR ET H REX (or a combination of M(A) B F(R) ET H(I)(B) depending on the engraver), with the reverse showing the royal arms on a large oval shield with plumes above the shield, and the legend CHRISTO AUSPICE REGNO I reign under the auspices of Christ. This was almost certainly done to make it easy to distinguish more clearly the different sizes and values, but they did not state the specific value, such as 1, 2, 3, 4 pence etc. This was followed by the dated issue, issued each year from 1670 to 1684, where the obverse features a right-facing uncrowned bust of the king and the inscription CAROLVS II DEI GRATIA, with the reverse showing three crowned interlinked "C"s (indicating the value) and the inscription MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX date. At the same time a new brass alloy was used for the new twelve sided brass threepences. The effigy of the queen produced by Mary Gillick was used, with the inscription ELIZABETH II DEI GRA BRITT OMN REGINA F D used in 1953, and ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F D used in all other years. While this was almost certainly true in the Black Country, this was certainly not universal, and these so-called expert authors all appear to be mindlessly parroting some writer from the Midlands. Plumes were the identifying symbol of the Aberystwyth mint, but the Bristol and Oxford mints often used dies from the Aberystwyth mint so plumes often appear on their output too. From 1817 the dimensions of the coin were reduced to a weight of 1.4grams (defined as 122troy ounce[2]) and diameter of 16 millimetres, following the Great Recoinage of 1816. Threepences were struck in all years from 1822 to 1830, though the king's head is smaller on the 1822 issue, apparently because the correct punch broke and the one from the 2d was used instead. A similar threepence was produced for King James II, dated 1685 to 1688, the obverse showing a left-facing bust of the king and the inscription IACOBVS II DEI GRATIA, with the reverse showing three crowned "I"s (indicating the value) and the inscription MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX date. The silver three pence coin (expressed in writing as "3d") first appeared in England during the reign of King Edward VI (1547-1553). All you have to do is fill out the form below and attach a clear image of both sides of the coin. Milled coins were produced at the York mint between 1638 and 1649, which look similar to the Aberystwyth product but without the plumes the obverse features a left-facing crowned bust of the king with the numeral III behind him, with the legend CAROLUS D G MAG BR FR ET HI REX, with the reverse showing the royal arms on a shield over a cross, with EBOR over the shield and the legend CHRISTO AUSPICE REGNO. Coins were produced at the Oxford mint between 1644 and 1646, using the Aberystwyth dies for the obverse, while the reverse of the 1644 coin shows the Declaration of Oxford in three lines: RELI PRO LEG ANG LIB PAR. There are two types of Edward VIII brass threepences. Types sets of all three portraits of the Queen Victoria threepences are often sold and are popular with collectors. 2010-10-02 03:07:05. Threepences were produced in 1729, 1731, 1732, 1735, 1737, 1739, 1740, 1743, 1746, and 1760. No. Before decimalisation brought about a new currency with new coinage, the sum of three pence was pronounced variously /rpns/ THRUUP-nss, /rp-/ THREP-, /rp-/ THRUP-, reflecting different pronunciations in the various regions and nations of Great Britain. The obverse inscription reads GEORGIUS IIII D G BRITANNIAR REX F D, while the reverse shows a new-style crowned "3" and date, all within a wreath. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Fast forward to 2020, and we were contacted by Ron H-W, who provided us with the following, as it appears to be well-researched, with references, we make no apology for adding it here in full, There are a few factors at work there: The silver fourpence was re-introduced in 1836, at the instigation of Joseph Hume This was because the standard cab fare was then 4d (four pence). The inscription on the obverse reads GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA up to 1800, and GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA date from 1817. While some eras saw them issued for general circulation, other periods used the threepence as maundy money. However, he was restrained by the will of the Protector, who was left . The threepence coin was withdrawn in 1971 due to decimalisation and replaced by the decimal new penny, with 2.4d being worth 1p. This coin weighed 6.6 grams and the diameter was 21 mm across the sides and 22 mm across the corners. It was first minted in 1551, during the reign of Edward VI, and circulated until 1980. However, those at EF grading are worth 250. Upload a picture of your coin and our team of experts will evaluate the coins condition, rarity, and historical value to give you an accurate market price estimate. In 1937 a new 3d coin was introduced, a brass coin with twelve . The sum of three pence was pronounced variously /rpns/ THRUUP-nss, /rpns/ THREP-nss or /rpns/ THRUP-nss, reflecting different pronunciations in the various regions of the United Kingdom. At first the coins had sharp corners, but during 1941 a more rounded collar was used, as failure of the collars was occurring too frequently. In Britain and Northern Ireland the farthing coin ceased to be legal tender on 1 January 1961; [3] however, the farthing remaind legal tender in the Falkland Islands, the Falkland Islands Dependencies, and the British Antarctic Territory until 31 October 1970. This coin weighed 6.6 grams (0.23oz) and the diameter was 21 millimetres (0.83in) across the sides and 22 millimetres (0.87in) across the corners. By the start of the reign of King George IV (18201830) the coin was being struck primarily as a Maundy coin, although some coins were produced for use in the colonies. Cabbies, having got used to often being handed a sixpence and told to keep the change, now found themselves usually being given the exact money (no tip! Somebody reading this page will stop reading before they get to this point and e-mail or phone us excitedly to tell us they have found one of the extremely rare 1945 threepences we have just described above. In King William IV's reign (183037), maundy coins were produced in 183137, and identical circulation coins were produced for the colonies, identifiable only through not having a prooflike surface. * So this second series had a rose behind the queen's head. I was being slightly facetious with my comments, the first silverthreepencesdid have a rose by the side of the portrait, but then so did the corresponding sixpence. Told in past tense, it focuses on the protagonist Pinmei, who lived in a small mountain village with her storytelling grandmother until one night when the emperor . The silver threepence continued to minted, as there may have been some uncertainty how well the new coin would be accepted. One of the proposed coinage reforms of Edward VIII's reign was to introduce a new brass nickel threepence. with a crowned three on the reverse) were revalued as being in new pence at the same time. These coins are identifiable from other denominations by the rose behind the queen's head on the obverse, and the date on the reverse. When did the British Threepence cease to be legal tender? Unusually, the same young portrait of King George II was used on the threepence throughout his reign (172760), despite an older portrait being used on other denominations from 1743. This coin also appears dated 1646. A twelve-sided nickel brass threepence was also introduced in 1937; the two formats were issued in parallel until the brass version finally supplanted the silver threepence. The threepences of king Edward VIII were all patterns awaiting royal approval at the time of the abdication in December 1936. If you were looking to sell a threepence to a collector the value goes up substantially, and you can simply take the estimated values above and convert them to dollars. While older incarnations of the coin used a plain edge, the threepence of Queen Elizabeth IIs reign was inscribed with ELIZABETH II DEI GRA BRITT OMN REGINA F D in 1953, and subsequently used ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F D until they ceased production in 1970. last of the old size 10p pieces. Pitt Byrne (R. Bentley, 1860) "Hi - hi - all you respectable people what 's got a joey, get half a pint of beer and sport the other threepence up here; " (and presumably beer is 2d a pint). 1644 OX The religion of the Protestants, the laws of England, the liberty of Parliament. Expired coins pre-dating the 1971 decimalisation system have become a popular niche for coin collectors throughout the UK and beyond, It was worth 1/80th of a pound, or of a, While older incarnations of the coin used a plain edge, the threepence of. Threepences were issued in 1762-3, 1765-6, 1770, 1772, 1780, 1784, 1786, 1792, 1795, 1800, 1817, 1818, and 1820. It was one of the most recognized coins of the pre-decimal English coinage system. The threepences of King Edward VIII were all patterns awaiting royal approval at the time of the abdication in December 1936. 1943 threepence. The name has also been applied to any thick or large coin, such as the Groschen (grosso), a silver coin issued by Tyrol in 1271 and Venice in the 13th century, which was the first of this general size to circulate in the Holy Roman Empire and other parts of Europe. Reverse, new design St. George's cross over aTudor rose dividing the date. Following decimalisation, the brass threepence ceased to be legal tender after 31 August 1971. It was also used in some parts of the British Empire (later known as the Commonwealth), notably Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. This answer is: The coin, albeit in several incarnations, remained in circulation right up until the decimalisation system came into effect. The silver threepence continued to be minted in parallel until 1945, as there may have been some uncertainty about how well the new coin would be accepted. Some years, like 1847 and 1848, are considered extremely rare and could fetch a four-figure sum if they feature high-quality grading. I hope these observations help. There is the undated issue which looks very like the earlier hammered coinage, with a crowned left-facing bust of the king with the denomination indicated by III behind his head, and the inscription CAROLVS II D G M B F & H REX, with the reverse showing a shield encircling the arms of England, Scotland, Ireland and France with the legend CHRISTO AUSPICE REGNO. EF graded coins from each year can fetch up to 20. As with all British silver coins, the silver content was reduced from sterling (0.925) silver to 50% silver, 40% copper, 10% nickel in 1920, 50% silver, 50% copper in 1922, and 50% silver, 40% copper, 5% nickel, 5% zinc in 1927, while the design of the reverse of the circulating threepence (but not the maundy threepence) was completely changed in 1927 to three oak sprigs with three acorns and a "G" in the centre, and the inscription THREE PENCE date. The threepence denomination fell out of use again during the reign of King James I, while during Charles I's reign (1625-1649) they were not produced at the London Tower mint, but were produced (sometimes in some quantity) at various provincial mints. The three pence coin expressed in writing as "3d" first appeared in England during the fine silver coinage of King Edward VI (154753), when it formed part of a set of new denominations. "This denomination was re-introduced for circulation in 1836 at the recommendation of Joseph Hume and nick-named after him 'Joeys'. In 1644 the Aberystwyth obverse was used to produce a coin with the reverse showing the Declaration of Oxford: REL PRO LEG AN LIB PA 1644 The religion of the Protestants, the laws of England, the liberty of Parliament 1644, while around the outside of the coin is the legend EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPENTUR INIMICI Let God arise and His enemies be scattered. Due to their common nature, those with low gradings are worth pence. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. In the first two years of minting the coin, 1762 and 1763, it was obviously produced for general circulation as these coins are generally found well worn; on the other hand, coins from the late issue (1817-20) are usually found in very fine condition, indicating that they were probably issued as Maundy money. The denomination is identified by the numeral III appearing behind the king's head. This coin also appears dated 1646. The old pennies quickly went out of use after Decimal Day, 15 February 1971there was no exact decimal equivalent of them, and the slogan "use your old pennies in sixpenny lots" explained that pennies and "threepenny bits" were only accepted in shops if their total value was six old pence (exactly 212 new pence). The very first silver threepence was issued in 1551 for Edward VI in fine silver. This was repeated in 1645, but with a plumelet instead of a plume in front of the king's face. While the silver threepence was minted as a currency coin until nearly the middle of the twentieth century, it is clear that the purpose of the coin undoubtedly changed during the reign of king George III (1760-1820). However, it is believed a handful escaped, with one example selling for 62,000 at auction in 2020.[1]. Many people did not like the new design and some areas of the country refused to use it! While they didnt go out of circulation until decimalisation took over, the Queen Elizabeth II nickel-brass coins stopped being minted in 1967. Interestingly from 1937-40 the coin had sharp corners, in 1941 it had either both sharp or rounded corners, 1942-46 they were rounded, and 1948 they were either. Most 1561 issues are 21 mm in diameter, while later ones are 19 mm in diameter. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited. 15 February 1971, and ceased to be legal . This could have been with awareness of Australian usage, but: One example of joey = 4d is in "Undercurrents Overlooked, Volume 1" by Mrs. Wm. A similar threepence was produced for king James II, dated 1685 to 1688, the obverse showing a left-facing bust of the king and the inscription IACOBVS II DEI GRATIA, with the reverse showing three crowned "I"s (indicating the value) and the inscription MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX date. Similar denominations were later used throughout the British Empire and Commonwealth countries, notably in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Depending on the exchange rate at any given time, a threepence in todays money would be the equivalent of just under 2 cents. All milled silver threepences were 17 millimetres in diameter and weighed 1.5 grams - dimensions which were unchanged until near the end of the reign of George III. The obverse shows a front-facing bust of the king, with a rose to the left and the value numeral III to the right, surrounded by the legend EDWARD VI D G ANG FRA Z HIB REX. Former coin of the United Kingdom and other territories, "Threepenny bit" redirects here. The inscription on the obverse throughout the reign was GEORGIVS V D G BRITT OMN REX F D IND IMP. The silver threepence continued to minted, as there may have been some uncertainty how well the new coin would be accepted. 6d. The coin has also been minted from nickel-brass as a 6.8g coin measuring 21mm and as a silver 1.5g coin with a diameter of 16.2mm. The reverse shows a long cross over the royal shield, surrounded by the legend (London mint) POSUI DEUM ADIUTOREM MEUM (I have made God my helper), or (York mint) CIVITAS EBORACI (City of York). The silver threepence continued to be minted in parallel until 1945, as there may have been some uncertainty about how well the new coin would be accepted. [8][9], In October 2019, it was announced that 120,000 silver threepences dated to 1935 and earlier were to be sold to the general public, as part of a move to encourage people to pick up coin collecting and numismatics. This was followed by the dated issue, issued each year from 1670 to 1684, where the obverse features a right-facing uncrowned bust of the king and the inscription CAROLVS II DEI GRATIA, with the reverse showing three crowned interlinked "C"s (indicating the value) and the inscription MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX date. This page would not be complete without telling you that a common "nickname" for the silver threepence was a "Joey", although we have also heard this used for the silver groat or fourpence. However, it is believed a handful escaped, with one example selling for 62,000 at auction in 2020. In 1644 the Aberystwyth obverse was used to produce a coin with the reverse showing the Declaration of Oxford: REL PRO LEG AN LIB PA 1644 The religion of the Protestants, the laws of England, the liberty of Parliament 1644, while around the outside of the coin is the legend EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPENTUR INIMICI Let God arise and His enemies be scattered. The nickel-brass threepence took over the bulk of the production of the denomination, being produced in all years between 1937 and 1952 except 1947. However, given their age, most can be found in EF condition, which can fetch a few pounds. The silver threepence had another completely new reverse three interlinked rings of Saint Edmund, with the inscription FID DEF IND IMP 1937 THREE PENCE, while the obverse shows a left-facing effigy of the king with the inscription EDWARDVS VIII D G BR OMN REX and a very small silver engravement. All of the 12-sided coins are inscribed with EDWARDVS VII D G BRITT OMN REX F D IND IMP. 1644 OX -- The religion of the Protestants, the laws of England, the liberty of Parliament. It was considered too fiddly to handle. From 1817 the dimensions of the coin were reduced to a weight of 1.4grams and diameter of 16 millimetres, following the Great Recoinage of 1816. By far the most common Charles I threepences were produced at the Aberystwyth mint between 1638 and 1642. 1644 Oxford, while around the outside of the coin is the legend EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPENTUR INIMICI Let God arise and His enemies be scattered. The common weight of the threepence was 6.8 grams, comprising 79% copper, 20% zinc and 1% nickel. The reverse shows a long cross over the royal shield, surrounded by the legend (London mint) POSUI DEUM ADIUTOREM MEUM (I have made God my helper), or (York mint) CIVITAS EBORACI (City of York). We wrote the above in 1998 or 1999. From 1561, during the third and fourth coinages of Elizabth I,halfgroats(twopences) were issued, which had no rose. The currency threepence was issued for each of the nine years of the reign of king Edward VII from 1902. For the joint reign of William and Mary, threepences were produced in all years from 1689 to 1694. The silver threepence was still produced and continued to circulate due to its popularity in Scotland and parts of the Commonwealth. These coins are identifiable from other denominations by the rose behind the queen's head on the obverse, and the date on the reverse. Les Bayless (age 22), his brother John Bayless (age 17), and Michael Bransome (age 18) lived at a commune known as Blair House (7421 Blair Road) just down the . Three pences from Maundy sets are often missing as they were the only easily spendable coin in the set at the time. Likewise, the coin was usually referred to in conversation as a /rpni/ THRUUP-nee, /rp-/ THREP-, /rp-/ THRUP- bit. There was also a fairly rare milled coinage threepence, produced between 1561 and 1564 with similar designs and inscriptions to the hammered coinage threepences. It ceased to be legal tender on the 16th of April, 1945. Originally the halfpenny was minted in copper, but after 1860 it was minted . Hence the coin was not minted in the following two reigns. During the reign of King George VI, circulation silver threepences were produced only in 19371945 (and almost all the 1945 examples were subsequently melted down). In 1644 the Aberystwyth obverse was used to produce a coin with the reverse showing the Declaration of Oxford: REL PRO LEG AN LIB PA 1644 -- The religion of the Protestants, the laws of England, the liberty of Parliament 1644, while around the outside of the coin is the legend EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPENTUR INIMICI -- Let God arise and His enemies be scattered. The obverse inscription reads GEORGIUS IIII D G BRITANNIAR REX F D, while the reverse shows a new-style crowned "3" and date, all within a wreath. In the reign of Queen Anne (1701-1714), the same basic design was used, with threepences produced in 1703-1710 and 1713. It was easy to see in change as it was yellow in appearance, and the multiple sides stood out as well as it being quite chunky unlike the small silver threepence. The denomination was written in the legend round the outside of the leaves. They depict the Queens head on one side and clearly state THREE PENCE on the other. The British pre-decimal halfpenny, (pronounced / hepni / ), historically also known as the obol [1] and once abbreviated ob. The obverse shows a left-facing bust of the king, with the inscription GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA while the reverse shows the crowned "3" and MAG BRI FR ET HIB REX date. For the first two years a somewhat caricatured portrait of the monarchs was used, replaced by a rather more staid portrait in 1691, with the inscription GVLIELMVS ET MARIA D G, while the reverse shows a crowned Arabic number "3" and the inscription MAG BR FR ET HIB REX ET REGINA date. This was repeated in 1645, but with a plumelet instead of a plume in front of the kings' face. With the withdrawal in the UK of the Britannia groat, some people transferred the nickname from the 4d to what then became the UK's smallest circulating coin - most people not having seen (let alone handled) Maundy pennies and twopences. The Maundy threepences still retained their centuries old design to this day of a crowned figure "3". For the first two years a somewhat caricatured portrait of the monarchs was used, replaced by a rather more staid portrait in 1691, with the inscription GVLIELMVS ET MARIA D G, while the reverse shows a crowned Arabic number "3" and the inscription MAG BR FR ET HIB REX ET REGINA date. The threepences of King Edward VIII were all patterns awaiting royal approval at the time of the abdication in December 1936. Despite being in circulation for only a little over half a decade, the Victoria Jubilee Head coin is worth very little due to its large mintage. The obverse inscription reads GULIELMUS IIII D G BRITANNIAR REX F D, while the reverse shows the new-style crowned "3" and date, all within a wreath. However, we must assume that the coin ceased to be legal tender around the late 1850s/ early 1860s. Threepences were produced with both the "young head" (1838-1887) and "Jubilee head" (1887-1893), inscribed VICTORIA D G BRITANNIAR REGINA F D, while those produced with the "old head" (1893-1901) which are VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP. The design continued in the reign of George I, when threepences were produced in 1717, 1721, 1723, and 1727. The new coin is designed to be more difficult to counterfeit.[8][9]. To fetch 40, the silver George V maundy threepence needs to be in EF condition while Uncirculated graded coins can gain double this. [10] The London Mint Office oversaw the sale of the coins, which all date from George V's reign and were valued at a total of approximately 1m, although a more realistic valuation would be in the region of 60,000. . It was first minted in the reign of Henry VIIas the testoon, and became known as the shilling, from the Old Englishscilling,[1]sometime in the mid-16th century. If the owner of the set were short of money the three pence got spent! At an auction in April 1970 one of these 1945 George VI silver threepence coins sold for the equivalent of 4,000 in todays money to an unknown buyer, with the other being graded and certified in 2019. First Edition. It was consequently decided to introduce a more substantial threepenny coin which would have a more convenient weight/value ratio than the silver coinage. The obverse shows a right-facing bust of the King, with the inscription GEORGIVS DEI GRATIA while the reverse shows the crowned "3" and MAG BRI FR ET HIB REX date. They feature a left-facing crowned bust of the king with the numeral III behind him, with the legend CAROLUS D G MA BR F ET H RE, with the reverse showing the royal arms on a shield with the date 1644 above the shield, and the legend CHRISTO AUSPICE REGNO. Threepence coins issued in 1954 circulated for 17 years until "Decimal Day", 15 February 1971, and ceased to be legal tender after 31 August 1971. ), and therefore nicknamed these coins "Joeys" in derision (a reference to Joseph Hume) -- we know them as "Britannia Groats". Unlike some of the larger . . The currency threepence was issued for each of the nine years of the reign of King Edward VII from 1902. The brass threepence ceased to be legal tender after 31 August 1971. The obverse shows a left-facing effigy of the king[4] (not right as would have been the convention to alternate the direction) with the inscription EDWARDVS VIII D G BR OMN REX F D IND IMP, and the reverse shows a three-headed thrift plant with the inscription THREE PENCE 1937. The obverse shows a right-facing bust of the King, with the inscription GEORGIVS DEI GRATIA while the reverse shows the crowned "3" and MAG BRI FR ET HIB REX date. It may surprise most people to learn that silverthreepencesare still issued in the present day, but as we have mentioned, the four denominations of Maundycoins are all still struckannually for the Royal Maundy ceremony. The inscription on the obverse reads GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA up to 1800, and GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA date from 1817. The reign of King George V (19101936) features several changes to the threepence denomination. No threepences were produced by the Commonwealth of England. A three pence coin was also used in the pre-decimalisation currencies of Commonwealth of Nations countries such as Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand. Featuring the depiction of a young Queen Victoria, coins from most years in this era are worth around 10-12. However, coins from the other years are worth as little as 1, even in this condition. There had been a severe debasement of the silver coinage under his father Henry VIII, which had continued in the early years of Edward's reign.